JP7815768B2 - Battery pack, setup method, processing method, processing program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a battery pack.

Battery packs that are replaceable for mobile devices have been attracting attention in recent years due to their convenience. Therefore, the battery pack proposed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with an LED lamp to indicate the charging rate.

JP 2013-177106 A

Battery packs are generally consumable items, and are expected to deteriorate due to, for example, repeated charging and discharging. However, while simply displaying the current charge rate, as in the battery pack disclosed in Patent Document 1, allows the person replacing the battery to determine whether replacement is necessary due to a decrease in remaining charge capacity, it is difficult to determine whether replacement is necessary due to battery pack deterioration and increase the effectiveness of the replacement.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery pack that improves the effectiveness of replacement. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a battery pack setup method that improves the effectiveness of replacement. Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a processing method and processing program related to a battery pack that improves the effectiveness of replacement.

The technical means of the present disclosure for solving the problems will be explained below. Note that the reference symbols in parentheses in the claims and this section indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described in detail below, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is
A battery pack configured to be replaceable for a moving object (2),
a battery section (20) that is repeatedly charged and discharged;
a display unit (50, 250) for displaying history information (Ih) representing the history from the past to the present regarding the state of the battery unit ;
A display unit that displays individual history information for each battery cell regarding the state of a battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells (21) includes:
Individual history information for each battery cell is displayed as at least one battery cell is rearranged .

According to the first aspect, the display unit displays historical information showing the state of the battery unit, which is repeatedly charged and discharged, from the past to the present. This allows the person replacing the battery pack to understand the remaining value of the battery unit based on the displayed historical information and determine whether the battery pack needs to be replaced due to deterioration. This makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of battery pack replacement.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is
A setup method for setting up a battery pack according to a first aspect, comprising:
rearranging at least one battery cell among a battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells (21);
This includes displaying, on the display unit, individual history information for each battery cell regarding the state of the battery unit.

According to the second aspect, regarding the state of a battery unit in which at least one battery cell among a plurality of arranged battery cells is rearranged, individual history information for each battery cell is displayed on the display unit. This allows the replacement person to effectively rearrange the battery cells as part of the setup for the battery pack to be replaced based on the displayed history information. Furthermore, as the battery cells are rearranged, the replacement person can confirm the effectiveness of the replacement based on the displayed history information. These features make it possible to increase the effectiveness of the replacement.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is
A processing method executed by at least one processor (7b, 81b) to perform battery-related processing related to a battery pack configured to be replaceable in a mobile object (2), the battery pack comprising: a battery unit (20) that is repeatedly charged and discharged; and a display unit (50, 250) that displays history information (Ih) that shows a history from the past to the present regarding the state of the battery unit, the display unit displaying individual history information for each battery cell regarding the state of the battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells (21 ) ,
obtaining historical information from the battery pack;
and displaying the acquired history information on a display unit (5) independent of the battery pack, and displaying individual history information for each battery cell regarding the state of a battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells ;
Obtaining historical information is
This includes obtaining the history information by reading and decoding a code representing the history information from the display unit as a history code (Ch) .

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is
A battery pack is provided which is configured to be replaceable in a mobile body (2), and which includes a battery unit (20) which is repeatedly charged and discharged, and a display unit (50, 250) which displays history information (Ih) which shows a history from the past to the present regarding the state of the battery unit, the display unit displaying individual history information for each battery cell regarding the state of the battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells (21). The battery pack is provided with a processing program which is stored in at least one storage medium (7a, 81a) and includes instructions which are executed by at least one processor (7b, 81b) to perform battery-related processing related to the battery pack,
The command is,
Acquiring history information from the battery pack;
The method includes displaying the acquired history information on a display unit (5) independent of the battery pack, and displaying individual history information for each battery cell regarding the state of a battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells ;
To obtain historical information,
The code representing the history information is read from the display unit as a history code (Ch) and decoded to obtain the history information .

According to the third and fourth aspects, the historical information obtained from the battery pack is displayed on a display unit independent of the battery pack. This allows the display amount of the display unit to be set to suit the needs of the exchanger, separate from the display unit, which is limited by the specifications of the battery pack installed in the vehicle. This allows the exchanger to be provided with the historical information necessary to understand the residual value, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the exchange.

1 is a side view illustrating a moving object on which a battery pack according to a first embodiment is mounted; 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of a battery pack according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a detailed configuration of the battery pack according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing an overall configuration different from that shown in FIG. 2 of the battery pack according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an overall configuration of the battery pack according to the first embodiment, different from that shown in FIGS. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing an overall configuration of the battery pack according to the first embodiment, different from that shown in FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing an overall configuration of the battery pack according to the first embodiment, different from that shown in FIGS. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing an overall configuration of the battery pack according to the first embodiment, different from that shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing display examples of the battery pack according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining a detailed configuration of a battery pack according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of a battery pack according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining a detailed configuration of a battery pack according to a third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining a trend example of a battery pack according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining a detailed configuration of a battery pack according to a fourth embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow according to a fourth embodiment.

Below, several embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that corresponding components in each embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted. Furthermore, when only a portion of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of another previously described embodiment may be applied to the remaining portions of that configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments may also be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, provided that there are no particular problems with the combination.

(First embodiment)
1, a battery pack 1 of the first embodiment is configured to be replaceable in a mobile object 2 that requires electric power for traveling. The mobile object 2 on which the battery pack 1 is mounted is at least one of the following types: an electric motorcycle, an electric bicycle, an electric automobile, a hybrid vehicle, an electric traveling robot, and the like.

The person who replaces battery pack 1 is assumed to be at least one of the following: a user who uses battery pack 1, or a servicer who provides services related to battery pack 1. Here, a user refers to at least one of the following attributes: an owner who owns battery pack 1, an owner who owns mobile unit 2, a rental user who rents battery pack 1, or a rental user who rents mobile unit 2. In contrast, a servicer refers to at least one of the following attributes: a servicer that provides a battery pack 1 replacement service, a servicer that provides a battery pack 1 charging service, a servicer that provides a battery pack 1 maintenance service, a servicer that provides a battery pack 1 rental service, or a servicer that provides a mobile unit 2 rental service. Regardless of the attribute of the exchanger, battery pack 1 will be exchanged at at least one of the following exchange facilities operated by the servicer: a charging facility, a maintenance facility, a rental facility, etc.

The battery pack 1 replacement process is triggered by the replacement operator's decision based on at least one of insufficient charge, which reduces the remaining charge capacity, and deterioration, which reduces the residual value. When the user is the replacement operator, the replacement process may be performed in response to deterioration or a reduction in the remaining charge capacity. When the replacement operator is a servicer, the replacement process may be performed as a setup process in response to deterioration, such as maintenance or rebuilding. As an example of a combination of these, the replacement process may be performed by the user as the primary replacement operator in response to deterioration or a reduction in the remaining charge capacity, and then the replacement process by the servicer as the secondary replacement operator may be performed as a setup process in response to deterioration.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the battery pack 1 is composed of an outer shell 10, a battery unit 20, an interface system 30, a sensing system 40, a display unit 50, a grip unit 60, and a control unit 70. The outer shell 10 is formed, for example, from metal, resin, or a combination thereof. The outer shell 10 functions as, for example, a casing, housing, or body that contains the battery unit 20. In particular, the outer shell 10 of the first embodiment has a three-dimensional shape with multiple planar outer shell surfaces 11 that are oriented in different normal directions.

The battery unit 20 has multiple battery cells 21. These battery cells 21 are arranged one-dimensionally, two-dimensionally, or three-dimensionally along at least one outer surface 11 and mounted inside the outer casing 10. Each battery cell 21 is primarily composed of a storage battery that, while contained inside the outer casing 10, can be charged from outside the outer casing 10 through the interface system 30, and can supply power to the outside through the interface system 30 by discharging.

Each battery cell 21 is connected to the interface system 30, sensing system 40, display unit 50, and control unit 70 via electrical wiring, allowing these elements 30, 40, 50, and 70 to be supplied with power by discharging. Each battery cell 21 may be configured to be replaceable either integrally with the outer casing 10 from the outside, or individually. Here, "individually replaceable" means that at least one battery cell 21 can be replaced with another battery cell 21. Each such battery cell 21 may be at least one type of battery, such as a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or an all-solid-state battery.

The interface system 30 is mounted on the outer casing 10 in an arrangement that exposes it to at least one outer casing surface 11. The interface system 30 has a power supply interface. The power supply interface in the interface system 30 may be a wired power supply connector that receives the power required to charge the battery unit 20 via a wired connection to the outside. The power supply interface may also be a wireless power supply antenna that receives the power required to charge the battery unit 20 from the outside in a contactless manner.

The sensing system 40 is mounted inside the outer casing 10. The sensing system 40 senses the state of the battery unit 20 (hereinafter referred to as the battery state). The sensing system 40 may sense the total battery state of all battery cells 21 that make up the battery unit 20. The sensing system 40 may also sense the individual battery state of each battery cell 21 that makes up the battery unit 20. In either case, the battery state sensed by the sensing system 40 is at least one of the following, including charge capacity: charge current, discharge current, charge voltage, discharge voltage, temperature of the battery unit 20 itself, temperature around the battery unit 20, water exposure due to submersion, and acceleration due to impact. Therefore, the sensing system 40 includes at least one detection element corresponding to the battery state to be sensed.

The display unit 50 is mounted on the outer casing 10 and is exposed to at least one outer surface 11. The display unit 50 displays information that needs to be presented to the outside. The information displayed by the display unit 50 includes history information Ih (see the example in Figure 9 described below) that shows the battery status of the battery unit 20 from past to present. In other words, the display unit 50 can present not only the current battery status (e.g., the current value of at least one of the SOC and SOH values described below) but also past battery status to the person replacing the battery by displaying the history information Ih. Therefore, the display unit 50 is primarily composed of at least one type of display panel, such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The display unit 50 may also be, for example, non-volatile electronic paper, which has a memory-based display function that allows it to maintain its display status even when the total remaining charge of the battery unit 20 becomes empty.

The display unit 50 may be configured to be able to switch the display state by at least one of, for example, a touch operation on the display screen and an operation of a physical switch outside the display screen. The display unit 50 may be configured to be able to turn the display state on and off by at least one of, for example, a touch operation on the display screen and an operation of a physical switch outside the display screen. The display unit 50 may be configured to be able to turn the power on and off by at least one of, for example, a touch operation on the display screen and an operation of a physical switch outside the display screen. The display unit 50 may turn the display state on when the power is turned on, and turn the display state off when the power is turned off. The display unit 50 may turn the display state on when the sleep mode is released, and turn the display state off when the sleep mode is entered.

The grip portion 60 is formed from, for example, metal, resin, or a combination thereof. The grip portion 60 is supported by the outer portion 10 in a form in which it is disposed on at least one outer surface 11. The outer surface 11 on which the grip portion 60 is disposed may be different from the outer surface 11 on which the display portion 50 is disposed, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 to 6. The outer surface 11 on which the grip portion 60 is disposed may also be the same as the outer surface 11 on which the display portion 50 is disposed, as shown in Figure 7. In addition to the forms described above, the arrangement of the grip portion 60 and the display portion 50 may also be such that the display portion 50 is exposed on the grip surface 61 of the grip portion 60 disposed on the outer surface 11, as shown in Figure 8.

As shown in Figures 2, 4 to 8, the replacement grip unit 60 is configured to protrude outward from the outer surface 11 of the installation location so that it can be grasped by the replacement operator. The grip unit 60 may also be fixed in a state that always protrudes outward, as shown in Figures 2, 7, and 8. The grip unit 60 may be configured to be slidable between an initial position Pi when mounted on the mobile unit 2 and a use position Pu when removed from the mobile unit 2, as shown in Figure 4, so that the protruding position is outward. The grip unit 60 may also be configured to be slidable as shown in Figure 5, or swingable as shown in Figure 6, between a storage position Ps inside the outer surface 10 when mounted on the mobile unit 2 and a use position Pu when removed from the mobile unit 2. In any of the cases shown in Figures 4 to 6, at least one of the power and display state of the display unit 50 may be turned on in response to the replacement operator driving the grip unit 60 from the storage position Ps to the use position Pu. In addition, in any of the cases shown in Figures 4 to 6, at least one of the power and display state of the display unit 50 may be turned off in response to the operator driving the grip unit 60 from the use position Pu to the storage position Ps.

The control unit 70 shown in Figures 2 to 8 is connected to the battery unit 20, interface system 30, sensing system 40, display unit 50, and control unit 70 via at least one of, for example, electrical wiring, an internal bus, or a LAN (Local Area Network) line. The control unit 70 is configured to include at least one dedicated computer. The dedicated computer constituting the control unit 70 has at least one memory 71 and one processor 72, as shown in Figure 3. The memory 71 is a storage unit that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs, data, etc., and is primarily configured from at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as semiconductor memory, magnetic media, or optical media. The processor 72 includes at least one type of core, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)-CPU.

In the control unit 70, the processor 72 acquires sensing data representing the battery status of the battery unit 20 sensed by the sensing system 40 in chronological order and stores it in the memory 71. Then, in response to a command from the operator to turn on at least one of the power and display status of the display unit 50, the processor 72 begins generating and displaying history information Ih based on the sensing data stored in the memory 71. In this case, particularly in the first embodiment, an image of the history information Ih is generated and displayed on the display unit 50 so as to represent the battery status history using at least one of text and graphics, as illustrated in Figure 9.

The processor 72 in the control unit 70 may generate history information Ih representing the history of the total battery state of all battery cells 21 that make up the battery unit 20 and display it on the display unit 50. The processor 72 may also generate history information Ih representing the history of the individual battery state of each battery cell 21 that makes up the battery unit 20 and display it on the display unit 50. Here, when the battery pack 1 is set up by a servicer or other such person as an exchanger, history information Ih for each battery cell 21 may be individually generated and displayed on the display unit 50 as at least one battery cell 21 is rearranged.

The history information Ih generated by the control unit 70 and displayed on the display unit 50 may represent at least one of the charging history and discharging history of the battery unit 20. The charging history represented by the history information Ih may include at least one of a time series transition of the SOC (State Of Charge) as the charging rate of the battery unit 20 and a time series transition of the SOH (State Of Health) as the health of the battery unit 20. Here, the transition of the SOC may include a transition of the time rate of change of the SOC according to, for example, a charging speed that can be switched between rapid and normal speeds.

At least one of the SOC and SOH may be calculated by the processor 72 at the display timing based on the sensing data stored in chronological order in the memory 71, and displayed at that display timing as history information Ih representing the charging history. At least one of the SOC and SOH may be calculated by the processor 72 or the control device of the mobile object 2 each time sensing data is acquired by the sensing system 40 in chronological order, and then stored in the memory 71, and displayed at the display timing as history information Ih representing the charging history. Of the sensing data stored in the memory 71 each time it is acquired in chronological order, data that forms the charging history, such as the trend in charging current, may itself be displayed as history information Ih at the display timing. Of the sensing data stored in the memory 71 each time it is acquired in chronological order, data that forms the discharging history, such as the trend in discharging current, may itself be displayed as history information Ih at the display timing.

The history information Ih generated by the control unit 70 and displayed on the display unit 50 may represent at least one of the temperature history and fault history of the battery unit 20. The temperature history represented by the history information Ih may include at least one of a time series history of the temperature of the battery unit 20 itself and a time series history of the temperature around the battery unit 20. The fault history represented by the history information Ih may include at least one of a time series history of whether the battery unit 20 has been wetted or whether the battery unit 20 has been subjected to an impact or not.

(Action and effect)
The effects of the first embodiment described above will be explained below.

In the first embodiment, the display unit 50 displays history information Ih, which shows the battery status of the battery unit 20, which is repeatedly charged and discharged, from the past to the present. This allows the person replacing the battery pack 1 to understand the remaining value of the battery unit 20 based on the displayed history information Ih and determine whether the battery pack 1 needs to be replaced due to deterioration. This makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of battery pack 1 replacement.

According to the first embodiment, historical information Ih based on the battery state of the battery unit 20 stored in the memory 71 serving as a storage unit may be displayed on the display unit 50. By accumulating history in the memory 71 regarding the battery state of the battery unit 20 from as far back in time as possible to the present, it is possible to ensure the historical information Ih required to determine the residual value. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the effectiveness of replacement is reduced due to a lack of historical information Ih.

According to the first embodiment, history information Ih representing at least one of the charging history and discharging history of the battery unit 20 may be displayed on the display unit 50. This allows the exchanger to predict and/or understand the degree of deterioration of the battery unit 20 based on at least one of the charging history and discharging history. Therefore, it is possible to accurately understand the residual value from the degree of deterioration and increase the effectiveness of the exchange.

According to the first embodiment, history information Ih representing the charging history related to the SOC as the charging rate of the battery unit 20 may be displayed on the display unit 50. This allows the exchanger to predict the degree of deterioration of the battery unit 20 based on the changes in SOC, which is the charging history from the past to the present. Therefore, it is possible to accurately grasp the residual value from the predicted degree of deterioration and increase the effectiveness of the exchange.

According to the first embodiment, the display unit 50 may display history information Ih, which represents the charging history related to the SOH as the health of the battery unit 20. This allows the person replacing the battery to understand the degree of deterioration of the battery unit 20 based on the progress of the SOH, which is the charging history from the past to the present. Therefore, it is possible to accurately understand the residual value from the results of understanding the degree of deterioration, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the replacement.

According to the first embodiment, history information Ih representing the temperature history of the battery unit 20 may be displayed on the display unit 50. This allows the person replacing the battery to predict the degree of deterioration of the battery unit 20 based on the temperature history. Therefore, it is possible to accurately grasp the remaining value from the predicted degree of deterioration and increase the effectiveness of the replacement.

In the first embodiment, history information Ih representing the failure history of the battery unit 20 is displayed on the display unit 50. This allows the person replacing the battery to predict current and/or potential future deterioration due to the failure history of the battery unit 20. Therefore, the remaining value can be accurately determined from the predicted deterioration results, making it possible to increase the effectiveness of the replacement.

According to the first embodiment, the display unit 50 may display historical information Ih for the total state of all battery cells 21 in the battery unit 20, which is an array of multiple battery cells 21. This allows the person replacing the battery pack 1 to understand the remaining value of the entire battery unit 20 based on the historical information Ih. Therefore, by replacing the battery pack 1 according to the remaining value of the entire battery unit 20, the effectiveness of the replacement can be improved.

According to the first embodiment, regarding the state of the battery unit 20, which has an arrangement of multiple battery cells 21, individual history information Ih for each battery cell 21 may be displayed on the display unit 50. This allows the person replacing the battery to understand the residual value of each battery cell 21 based on the history information Ih. Therefore, when replacing a battery pack 1, the effectiveness of the replacement can be improved by rearranging the battery cells 21 according to their individual residual values.

According to the first embodiment, with regard to the state of the battery unit 20 in which at least one battery cell 21 out of the multiple arranged battery cells 21 is rearranged, individual history information Ih may be displayed on the display unit 50 for each battery cell 21. This allows the replacement person to effectively rearrange the battery cells 21 as part of the setup process for the battery pack 1 to be replaced based on the displayed history information Ih. Furthermore, as the battery cells 21 are rearranged through the setup process, the replacement person can confirm the effectiveness of the replacement based on the displayed history information Ih. This makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of the replacement.

In the first embodiment, the history information Ih is displayed on the display unit 50 using at least one of text and graphics. This allows the person replacing the battery to directly and/or intuitively visually recognize the battery condition history represented by the displayed history information Ih and grasp the remaining value of the battery unit 20. This makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of battery pack 1 replacement.

In the first embodiment, the replacement grip 60 is supported by the outer casing 10 that houses the battery unit 20. This allows the person replacing the battery to easily perform the replacement process by grasping the grip 60, and also allows them to simultaneously ascertain the remaining value of the battery unit 20 based on the history information Ih displayed on the display 50 exposed on the outer casing 10. This ensures convenience and enhances effectiveness when replacing the battery pack 1.

The display unit 50 according to the first embodiment may be arranged on one of the multiple outer surfaces 11 of the outer casing 10 that are oriented in different directions, and that is different from the grip unit 60. This allows the display area of the history information Ih to be as large as possible on the display unit 50 that is arranged in a different location from the grip unit 60. This ensures that the amount of history information Ih displayed is sufficient to determine the residual value, making it possible to increase the effectiveness of the exchange.

The display unit 50 according to the first embodiment may be arranged on one of the multiple outer surfaces 11 of the outer casing 10 that are oriented in different directions and that are also shared with the grip unit 60. This allows the person holding the grip unit 60 to ascertain the remaining value of the battery unit 20 during the replacement process based on the history information Ih displayed on the display unit 50 at the same location as the grip unit 60. This makes it possible to improve both convenience and effectiveness when replacing the battery pack 1.

The display unit 50 according to the first embodiment may be disposed on the grip unit 60. This allows the person holding the grip unit 60 to ascertain the remaining value of the battery unit 20 during the replacement process based on the history information Ih displayed on the display unit 50 disposed on the object being gripped. This makes it possible to improve both convenience and effectiveness when replacing the battery pack 1.

The grip unit 60 according to the first embodiment may be provided so that it can be driven to a usage position Pu that protrudes from the outer shell 10. With this type of grip unit 60, the person replacing the battery can ascertain the remaining value of the battery unit 20 immediately after starting the replacement process based on the history information Ih displayed on the display unit 50, which is turned on in response to the drive to the usage position Pu. This makes it possible to improve both convenience and effectiveness when replacing the battery pack 1.

The display unit 50 according to the first embodiment may be turned on by a touch operation. This allows the person replacing the battery to ascertain the remaining value of the battery unit 20 based on the history information Ih displayed on the display unit 50, which is turned on by a relatively simple touch operation. This makes it possible to improve both convenience and effectiveness when replacing the battery pack 1.

According to the first embodiment, the display of the history information Ih by the display unit 50 may include a memory display. This allows the person replacing the battery 20 to grasp the remaining value of the battery 20 based on the history information Ih that can be presented by the memory display, even if the remaining charge capacity of the battery 20 is empty at the start of the replacement process. This makes it possible to improve both convenience and effectiveness when replacing the battery pack 1.

Second Embodiment
As shown in FIG. 10, the second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment.

In the display unit 250 of the battery pack 201 according to the second embodiment, the history information Ih is displayed using at least one type of code, such as a two-dimensional code like the QR Code (registered trademark) shown in FIG. 11, or a one-dimensional code like a barcode. Therefore, in the battery pack 201 according to the second embodiment, the processor 72 of the control unit 70 encodes the generated history information Ih, causing the display unit 250 to display a history code Ch representing the history information Ih. At this time, the processor 72 may encode at least a portion of the history information Ih using an encryption key pre-stored in the memory 71, which serves as a storage unit, to generate and control the display of the history code Ch, such as SQRC (registered trademark).

The display of history information Ih using at least one of text and graphics, as described in the first embodiment, is performed under control of the control unit 70 in the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 11, but does not have to be performed. In all respects other than those described above, the battery pack 201 of the second embodiment is configured similarly to the battery pack 1 described in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, a processing terminal 3 is used in conjunction with such a battery pack 201 to perform battery-related processing related to the pack 201, as shown in FIG. 10. The processing terminal 3 is at least one of the following types: a mobile terminal owned by the exchanger, a mobile terminal rented to the exchanger, or a fixed terminal installed at the exchange facility. The processing terminal 3 includes an imaging unit 4, a display unit 5, and a control unit 7.

The imaging unit 4 is primarily configured as an electronic camera capable of capturing images displayed on the display unit 250 of the battery pack 201. The display unit 5 is configured similarly to the display unit 50 described in the first embodiment, except that it is independent of the battery pack 1 and is not directly electrically linked to the components of the battery pack 1.

The control unit 7 is connected to the imaging unit 4 and the display unit 5 via at least one of the following: electrical wiring, an internal bus, and a LAN line. The control unit 7 includes at least one dedicated computer. The dedicated computer that makes up the control unit 7 has at least one memory 7a and one processor 7b. The memory 7a serves as a storage unit that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data, and is primarily composed of at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as semiconductor memory, magnetic media, and optical media. The processor 7b includes at least one type of core, such as a CPU, GPU, or RISC-CPU.

In this control unit 7, the processor 7b executes multiple instructions contained in a processing program stored in the memory 7a to perform battery-related processing related to the battery pack 201. As a result, the processing method according to the second embodiment for performing battery-related processing related to the battery pack 201 is executed by the processor 7b in accordance with the processing flow shown in Figure 12. Note that each "S" in the processing flow represents a plurality of steps executed by multiple instructions contained in the processing program.

In S210, processor 7b acquires, from battery pack 201, history information Ih represented by history code Ch and displayed on display unit 250. Specifically, processor 7b controls imaging unit 4 to capture the history code Ch displayed on display unit 250, thereby reading and decoding the history code Ch from display unit 250. Through this decoding, processor 7b acquires history information Ih represented by history code Ch. At this time, if at least a portion of the history information Ih is encrypted with an encryption key, processor 7b may acquire history information Ih by decoding the history code Ch using an encryption key pre-stored in memory 7a that corresponds to and is independent of the encryption key pre-stored in memory 71 of control unit 70. Furthermore, at this time, if processing terminal 3 is a fixed terminal at an exchange facility, history information Ih may be acquired automatically in response to setting of battery pack 201 at the exchange facility.

In S220, the processor 7b displays the history information Ih acquired in S210 on a display unit 5 that is independent of the battery pack 201. At this time, if there are multiple types of display objects, the history information Ih may be selected in response to the user's operation of the display unit 5.

(Action and effect)
In the second embodiment described above, the effects that are added to those of the first embodiment will be described below.

In the second embodiment, the history information Ih acquired from the battery pack 201 is displayed on a display unit 5 that is independent of the battery pack 201. This makes it possible to set the amount of information displayed by the display unit 5 to suit the needs of the exchanger, separate from the display unit 250, which has a display capacity limited according to the specifications of the battery pack 201 installed in the vehicle 2. This makes it possible to provide the exchanger with the amount of history information Ih necessary to understand the residual value, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the exchange.

In the second embodiment, the history code Ch representing the history information Ih is read from the display unit 250 and decoded, thereby acquiring the history information Ih and displaying it on the display unit 5. This allows the display unit 5 to increase the display volume to meet the needs of the exchanger by reading and decoding the history code Ch, which has increased information density, even for the same type of history information Ih as the display unit 250, which has a limited display volume depending on the specifications of the battery pack 201. Therefore, it is possible to provide the exchanger with the amount of history information Ih necessary to understand the residual value, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the exchange.

In the second embodiment, the history code Ch of the history information Ih encrypted using an encryption key is read from the display unit 250 and decoded using the encryption key, thereby obtaining the history information Ih and displaying it on the display unit 5. This allows the history information Ih represented by the history code Ch to be displayed on the display unit 5 only when the decoding of the history code Ch, which can be prevented from being tampered with, is complete. Therefore, it is possible to determine the remaining value based on the true history information Ih displayed on the display unit 5, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the exchange.

(Third embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 13, the third embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the processing terminal 303 works in cooperation with the management center 8 to perform battery-related processing related to the battery pack 201. To this end, a communication unit 6 is added to the processing terminal 303.

The communication unit 6 is connected to the control unit 7 via at least one of, for example, electrical wiring, an internal bus, or a LAN line. The communication unit 6 is configured to be able to communicate with the outside world under control of the control unit 7. The communication unit 6 may be a wireless communication device that transmits data via wireless communication with the outside world. The communication unit 6 may also be a wired communication device that transmits data via wired communication with the outside world. In all respects other than those described above, the processing terminal 303 of the third embodiment is configured similarly to the processing terminal 3 described in the second embodiment.

For such processing terminals 303, the management center 8 is constructed primarily from at least one of the following: a cloud server, an edge server, etc., and is managed by a servicer. To link with the processing terminals 303, the management center 8 includes a control unit 81 as well as a communication unit 80. Here, the communication unit 80 is configured to be able to communicate with the outside world under control of the control unit 81. The communication unit 80 is preferably a wired communication device that realizes data transmission via wired communication with the outside world.

In the management center 8, the control unit 81 is connected to the communication unit 80 via at least one of the following: electrical wiring, an internal bus, and a LAN line. The control unit 81 includes at least one dedicated computer. The dedicated computer that makes up the control unit 81 has at least one memory 81a and one processor 81b. The memory 81a serves as a storage unit that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data, and is primarily composed of at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as semiconductor memory, magnetic media, and optical media. The processor 81b includes at least one type of core, such as a CPU, GPU, or RISC-CPU.

In each control unit 7, 81 of the processing terminal 303 and the management center 8, the processors 7b, 81b cooperate to execute a plurality of instructions contained in the processing program stored in the memory 7a, 81a, respectively, to perform battery-related processing related to the battery pack 201. As a result, the processing method according to the third embodiment for performing battery-related processing related to the battery pack 201 is executed by the cooperation of the processors 7b, 81b in accordance with the processing flow shown in Figure 14.

In the third embodiment, when S210 is executed by the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 in accordance with the second embodiment, S320 to S370, which replace S220, are executed sequentially as described below. Specifically, in S320, the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 controls the communication unit 6 of the terminal 303 to transmit the history information Ih obtained in S210 from the battery pack 201 to the management center 8. At this time, the history information Ih may be displayed on the display unit 5 in accordance with S220, prior to S370, which will be described later.

In S330, the processor 81b of the management center 8 controls the communication unit 80 of the management center 8 to receive the transmission history information Ih transmitted in S320. At this time, the received history information Ih may be stored in the memory 81a to form management data that serves as a management ledger for the battery pack 201.

In S330, the processor 81b of the management center 8 may acquire user information Iu related to the user. Here, the user information Iu may be at least one type of personal information that specifies or identifies the user, such as name information, ID information, address information, telephone number information, driver's license information, payment information, usage frequency information, usage amount information, driving tendency information for the mobile unit 2, etc. The user information Iu may be at least one type of information related to the mobile unit 2 used by the user, such as electricity cost information, planned route information, driving history information, fault history information, and breakdown history information.

Such user information Iu may be stored in memory 81a at the management center 8 and read from memory 81a when S330 is executed. When S330 is executed, user information Iu may be received from at least one of the processing terminal 303 and the mobile unit 2 by processor 81b at the management center 8 controlling the communication unit 80. At this time, at least one of processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 and the control device of the mobile unit 2 may select whether to associate the user's personal information as user information Iu with history information Ih and transmit it to the management center 8, depending on the attributes of the servicer managing the management center 8. Similarly, at a management center 8 managed by a primary servicer, whether to transmit personal information associated with history information Ih to another management center 8 managed by a secondary servicer may be selected depending on the attributes of the secondary servicer. In this case, for example, transmission of personal information from a primary servicer of a rental service that requires personal information authorized by the user to a secondary servicer of an exchange service that does not require personal information may be restricted.

In S340, the processor 81b of the management center 8 generates additional information Ia based on the history information Ih received in S330. That is, the processor 81b of the management center 8 generates additional information Ia that correlates with the history information Ih obtained from the battery pack 201 in S210. At this time, if user information Iu has been obtained in the previous S330, the generation of the additional information Ia may also be performed based on that user information Iu.

The additional information Ia generated in S340 may be at least one of the SOC and SOH, calculated with higher accuracy than values acquired from the battery pack 201 based on the sensing data constituting the history information Ih. The additional information Ia may also be the travelable distance of the mobile unit 2, calculated by multiplying the SOC constituting the history information Ih or the previously generated additional information Ia by the electric power consumption of the mobile unit 2 constituting the user information Iu. The additional information Ia may also be recommended information about exchange facilities located on the planned route of the mobile unit 2 constituting the user information Iu, within the travelable distance constituting the previously generated additional information Ia. Here, if the additional information Ia is recommended information about exchange facilities, map information stored in a map database serving as memory 81a of the management center 8 may be used to generate the additional information Ia.

The additional information Ia generated in S340 may be notification information that identifies a user whose battery pack 201 is being used poorly and provides advice or a warning based on the failure history that constitutes the history information Ih and the user's personal information that constitutes the user information Iu. The additional information Ia may also be assurance information that presumptively guarantees that traceability is normal when the SOH history that constitutes the history information Ih or the previously generated additional information Ia shows a deterioration trend over time between battery pack 201 replacement processes (see the example trend in Figure 9 of the first embodiment). The additional information Ia may also be warning information that warns of the possibility of traceability tampering when the SOH history that constitutes the history information Ih or the previously generated additional information Ia shows an unexpected recovery trend from a deterioration trend between battery pack 201 replacement processes, as illustrated in Figure 15. The additional information Ia may be notification information that identifies driving conditions that may cause deterioration of the battery pack 201 and provides advice or a warning based on the SOH history that constitutes the history information Ih or previously generated additional information Ia, and the driving history of the mobile object 2 that constitutes the user information Iu. Here, the driving conditions that may cause deterioration of the battery pack 201 may be fed back from the management center 8 to the developer of the battery pack 201.

As shown in FIG. 14, in S350, the processor 81b of the management center 8 controls the communication unit 80 of the management center 8 to transmit the additional information Ia generated in S340 to the processing terminal 303. In S360, the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 controls the communication unit 80 of the terminal 303 to receive the additional information Ia transmitted in S350.

In S370, the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 displays at least one of the history information Ih acquired in S210 and the additional information Ia received in S360 (i.e., the history information Ih and/or the additional information Ia) on the display unit 5. At this time, the history information Ih and the additional information Ia, of which there will be at least one type each, may be selected in response to the exchanger's operation on the display unit 5.

(Action and effect)
In the third embodiment described above, the effects that are added to those of the second embodiment will be described below.

According to the third embodiment, additional information Ia correlated with history information Ih acquired from the battery pack 201 is generated, and the generated information Ia is displayed on the display unit 5. As a result, while the amount of information displayed by the display unit 5 is limited depending on the specifications of the battery pack 201, the amount of information displayed by the display unit 5 can be increased by the amount of additional information Ia. Therefore, it is possible to provide the exchanger with not only the history information Ih required to understand the residual value, but also additional information Ia that meets the exchanger's needs, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the exchange.

According to the third embodiment, whether or not a servicer providing services related to the battery pack 201 is permitted to transmit personal information of a user using the battery pack 201 in association with history information Ih is selected according to the attributes of the servicer. This makes it possible to ensure the protection of personal information when replacing the battery pack 201.

(Fourth embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 16, the fourth embodiment is a modification of the third embodiment.

The interface system 430 of the battery pack 401 according to the fourth embodiment has a communication interface. From the viewpoint of eliminating the need for radio wave authentication, the communication interface in the interface system 430 is preferably a wired communication connector that realizes data transmission via wired communication with the communication unit 6, or a wired communication unit including such a wired communication connector. However, the communication interface may also be a wireless communication connector that realizes data transmission via wireless communication with the communication unit 6 under radio wave authentication, or a wireless communication unit including such a wireless communication connector. Note that apart from the points described above, the battery pack 401 of the fourth embodiment is configured similarly to the battery pack 201 described in the second embodiment. Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the imaging unit 4 is removed from the essential components of the processing terminal 303.

In the processing method of this fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, in S410, which replaces S210, the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 acquires history information Ih from the battery pack 401 by communication via the interface system 430 and the communication unit 6. At this time, it is not necessary for the display unit 250 of the battery pack 401 to display the history information Ih using the history code Ch. On the other hand, the display unit 250 of the battery pack 401 may or may not display the history information Ih using at least one of text and graphics when S410 is executed, as long as it is displayed at a time other than when S410 is executed.

In S410, the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 may obtain a hash value Vh for the history information Ih from the battery pack 401 via communication through the interface system 430 and the communication unit 6. Here, it is assumed that the hash value Vh is calculated by the processor 81b for each exchange process up to the previous execution of S410, which is before the current execution of S410, using the history information Ih stored in memory 81a at the management center 8 as a blockchain, and then stored in memory 71 by transmission via the communication units 80 and 6 and the interface system 430. Under this assumption, in S410, the hash value Vh stored in memory 71 during the previous exchange process is transmitted from the processing terminal 303 to the management center 8 via the communication units 6 and 80, where it is compared with the hash value Vh for the history information Ih stored in memory 81a up to the previous exchange process.

(Action and effect)
In the fourth embodiment described above, the effects added to those of the first embodiment will be described below.

In the fourth embodiment, the history information Ih acquired from the battery pack 401 is displayed on a display unit 5 that is independent of the battery pack 401. This makes it possible to set the amount of information displayed by the display unit 5 to suit the needs of the exchanger, separate from the display unit 250, which has a display capacity limited according to the specifications of the battery pack 401 installed in the vehicle 2. Therefore, it is possible to provide the exchanger with the amount of history information Ih necessary to understand the residual value, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the exchange.

In the fourth embodiment, additional information Ia correlated with history information Ih acquired from the battery pack 401 is generated, and the generated information Ia is displayed on the display unit 5. As a result, while the amount of information displayed by the display unit 5 is limited depending on the specifications of the battery pack 401, the amount of information displayed by the display unit 5 can be increased by the amount of additional information Ia. Therefore, it is possible to provide the exchanger with not only the history information Ih required to understand the residual value, but also additional information Ia that meets the exchanger's needs, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the exchange.

According to the fourth embodiment, whether or not a servicer that provides a service related to the battery pack 401 is permitted to transmit personal information of a user who uses the battery pack 401 in association with the history information Ih is selected according to the attributes of the servicer. This makes it possible to ensure the protection of personal information when the battery pack 401 is replaced.
(Other embodiments)

Although several embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to those embodiments, and various embodiments and combinations may be applied within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

In a modified example, the dedicated computer constituting at least one of the control unit 70 and the control units 7, 80 may have at least one of a digital circuit and an analog circuit as a processor. Here, a digital circuit refers to at least one of the following: an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an SOC (System on a Chip), a PGA (Programmable Gate Array), and a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device). Such a digital circuit may also have a memory that stores a program.

In S210 of the processing methods according to the modified examples of the second and third embodiments, the processor 7b of the processing terminal 3, 303 may control the imaging process by the imaging unit 4 in response to the display of at least one of text and graphics representing the history information Ih, thereby acquiring the history information Ih. In the processing methods according to the modified examples of the third and fourth embodiments, S330 and S350 by the processor 81b of the management center 8 and S360 by the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303 may not be executed, and S340 by the processor 81b of the management center 8 may be executed by the processor 7b of the processing terminal 303. In these modified examples of the third and fourth embodiments, collaboration between the processing terminal 303 and the management center 8 is not required.

1: Battery pack, 2: Mobile unit, 5: Display unit, 7a, 71, 81a: Memory, 7b, 72, 81b: Processor, 10: Outer shell, 11: Outer shell surface, 20: Battery unit, 21: Battery cell, 50, 250: Display unit, 60: Grip unit, Ch: History code, Ia: Additional information, Ih: History information, Pu: Usage position

Claims (24)

A battery pack configured to be replaceable for a moving object (2),
a battery section (20) that is repeatedly charged and discharged;
a display unit (50, 250) that displays history information (Ih) that indicates a history from the past to the present regarding the state of the battery unit ;
The display unit displays the history information for each battery cell regarding the state of the battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells (21),
The battery pack displays the history information for each of the battery cells in response to rearrangement of at least one of the battery cells . Further provided is a storage unit (71) for storing the state of the battery unit,
The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit displays the history information based on the state of the battery unit stored in the storage unit. A battery pack as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the display unit displays the history information indicating at least one of the charging history and discharging history of the battery unit. The battery pack described in claim 3, wherein the display unit displays the history information indicating the charging history related to the charging rate of the battery unit. A battery pack as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the display unit displays the history information indicating the charging history related to the health of the battery unit. The battery pack described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the display unit displays the history information indicating the temperature history of the battery unit. The battery pack described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the display unit displays the history information indicating the failure history of the battery unit. The battery pack described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display unit displays the history information for all of the battery cells in total, regarding the status of the battery unit having a plurality of battery cells arranged. A setup method for setting up the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , comprising:
rearranging at least one of the battery cells in the battery unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells;
a setup method including displaying, on the display unit, the history information relating to the state of the battery unit, individually for each battery cell. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the display unit displays the history information using at least one of text and graphics. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 10 , wherein the display unit displays the history information in a code. The battery pack according to claim 11 , wherein the display unit displays a code including the encrypted history information. an outer shell (10) that houses the battery unit and exposes the display unit;
The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 10 to 12 , further comprising a grip portion (60) supported by the outer shell portion for replacement. The outer shell portion has a plurality of outer shell surfaces (11) facing in different directions,
The battery pack according to claim 13 , wherein the display unit is disposed on a different outer surface of the outer shell from the grip unit. The outer shell portion has a plurality of outer shell surfaces (11) facing in different directions,
The battery pack according to claim 13 or 14 , wherein the display unit is arranged on the outer surface of the outer shell, which is common to the grip unit. 16. The battery pack according to claim 13 , wherein the display unit is disposed on the grip unit. The grip portion is provided so as to be drivable to a use position (Pu) projecting from the outer shell portion,
17. The battery pack according to claim 13 , wherein the display unit is turned on in response to the grip unit being driven to the use position. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 10 to 17 , wherein the display unit is turned on by a touch operation. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 10 to 18 , wherein the display of the history information by the display unit includes a memory-type display. A processing method executed by at least one processor (7b, 81b) to perform battery-related processing related to a battery pack configured to be replaceable in a moving object (2), the battery pack comprising: a battery unit (20) that is repeatedly charged and discharged; and a display unit (50, 250) that displays history information (Ih) that represents a history from the past to the present regarding the state of the battery unit, the display unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells (21) , and displaying the history information for each of the battery cells regarding the state of the battery unit,
acquiring the history information from the battery pack;
displaying the acquired history information on a display unit (5) independent of the battery pack, and displaying the history information for each of the battery cells individually with respect to the state of the battery unit having a plurality of the battery cells arranged ;
The acquiring of the history information includes:
a processing method including: acquiring the history information by reading and decoding a code representing the history information from the display unit as a history code (Ch) . The acquiring of the history information includes:
reading the history code, in which the history information is encrypted with an encryption key, from the display unit and decoding the history code with the encryption key;
and obtaining the decoded history information. generating additional information (Ia) correlating to the historical information obtained from the battery pack;
22. The method of claim 20 or 21 , further comprising: displaying the generated additional information on the display unit. The processing method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, further comprising: selecting whether or not to allow a servicer providing a service related to the battery pack to transmit personal information of a user using the battery pack in association with the acquired history information, depending on the attributes of the servicer. A battery pack is provided which is configured to be replaceable in a mobile body (2), and which includes a battery unit (20) which is repeatedly charged and discharged, and a display unit (50, 250) which displays history information (Ih) which shows a history from the past to the present regarding the state of the battery unit, the display unit having a plurality of arranged battery cells (21) which displays the history information for each of the battery cells regarding the state of the battery unit, the battery pack being configured to be replaceable in a mobile body (2) , and which includes a processing program which is stored in at least one storage medium (7a, 81a) and includes instructions which are executed by at least one processor (7b, 81b) to perform battery-related processing related to the battery pack,
The instruction:
acquiring the history information from the battery pack;
and displaying the acquired history information on a display unit (5) independent of the battery pack, and displaying the history information for each of the battery cells individually with respect to the state of the battery unit having a plurality of the battery cells arranged .
The acquiring of the history information includes:
a processing program for acquiring the history information by reading a code representing the history information from the display unit as a history code (Ch) and decoding the code .